The pool has been opened since 1903 and many children and adults have been taught there over the years. The pool is a valuable asset to the community and creates much happiness and enjoyment. Children and adults are able to learn a life saving skill of learning to swim and gain many health benefits from this.

Forty one years ago Michael Sobell had a vision. A vision of a hospice where people would be able to spend the last few days of their life with all the staff and facilities that were needed to hand, in an environment that was as pleasant as possible. An environment with beautiful plants growing indoors as well as in the peaceful, tranquil gardens, a calming aquarium, and an aviary where colourful, birds flit from branch to branch and sing. An environment far removed from the usual, purely functional, antiseptic hospital ward, and a level of 24 hour care far more effective than that which could ever be provided at home. In 1977 Michael Sobell was moved enough to donate £1 million of his own money so that his vision could be achieved. A building was erected which provided an environment that was as homely as possible, friendly, and even inspirational, but a building with an expected life span of only 20 years. It has been tended and cared for by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers for 41 years. But now here we are and the inevitable day has finally arrived and the building needs to be demolished, and yet there is no plan in place to allow this much appreciated facility to continue. “Care in the community” undoubtedly has its benefits, but the phrase often seems to be used in a cynical way to slash costs and justify closing facilities. But it is totally inappropriate and unacceptable for end-of-life care. We are in danger of letting down not only Michael Sobell, the inpatients, and their families, but also the trustees, staff, and volunteers who have tended and cared for the hospice all these years - not to mention all those who have sacrificed their time, and risen to many a challenge, to raise funds in support. We must not lose sight of Michael Sobell's vision; the NHS needs to demonstrate that it still has a heart and soul. Otherwise we will just end up where we started 41 years ago. We cannot allow hospices to be closed up and down the country. We must not short-change all those people for whom the cards of life played out badly. This issue should be of NATIONWIDE CONCEN, we cannot stand by and allow the humanity to be taken out of decisions that effect us all, no matter what the financial pressures might be. Now is the time to mobilise public opinion while the powers that control the NHS contemplate how best to use their £20bn “birthday present.” We need to petition East and North Herts NHS Trust and make our feelings known before a decision is made that wipes the Michael Sobell Hospice off the face of the earth for ever. The NHS would then lose the ability to provide the sort of care for end-of-life patients that the community works so hard to support. It stands to lose the services of the dedicated people that tend the gardens, and look after the aviary and aquarium, and all the people that strive to raise funds to provide all manner of small comforts for the inpatients. The NHS stands on the brink of losing the additional funding generated by the Charity that supports the hospice which allows its limited resources to go that little bit further. But most importantly we need to show the NHS the strength of public opinion before it makes an irreversible decision that will deny many of our loved-ones access to the final demonstration of our community’s love and compassion that is offered by our hospices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxoOXs6i9gI ANY VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN AND OTHER PARTIES MAY WISH TO EXPRESS DIFFERENT VIEWS! The Board of Trustees of the Michael Sobell Hospice Charity have announced that they have set up an Advisory working group as part of their “listening and engagement” exercise. In order to help them in their desire to “spread a wide net to capture not only local views but also consider the national picture for palliative and end of life care’”, we have compiled a short survey. To complete it copy and paste the following link into your browser. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2VX8ZMJ You are also able to find the SURVEY on the newly created Save My Safe Haven website: www.savemsh.co.uk where we will be posting the results. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE try and complete the SURVEY in time for the meeting the Michael Sobell House Charity has planned for later on in August. Any questions please email us at [email protected]

Our GP services are on their knees Our roads are gridlocked due to sheer number of cars, limited roads out of Midlothian and poor public transport for many areas Our schools are bursting at the seams with children being shipped out of catchment schools due to lack of space Lack of investment into community resources - there are few services for our elderly, teenagers and young children. Our green belt is disappearing - with a significant impact on our health and the environment Private housing is not a priority - we need to prioritise council and housing association accommodation

The service is for people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other respiratory conditions. I am one of a number of people who attend the rehab sessions once a week to help us keep us keep fit, active and teach us self-management. Most of the people on this course would spend a lot longer in hospital, and put more strain on the NHS, but for the benefits of these rehab sessions. If this vital service is closed these benefits will be lost. This service is so important because it works. I know from not only myself, but others on this course, that this class gives us a better quality of life. Not only that but we can mix with other people who have similar problems, and we can help each other. It's amazing how much more you can push yourself when you have others of a similar illness alongside you! Please sign and spread the word: stop the closure of this vital service!

Suicide can affect everyone! Having a chap at the door, is devastating...It can affect all ages, all professions, Sign, Shout, Care, Help us please....Don’t let anyone else lose a loved one... Please support Direct Link Telephones....The Glasgow Cabbies Page is open to everyone for more Info, Stef Is striving to help the most vulnerable people in our Society, We are hoping we get a few hundred signatures to present to Glasgow City Council...The Glasgow Cabbie, Irene, Robert, Blake and myself do appreciate you reading our important message...Save a life! These phones would let anyone vulnerable call the Samaritans, instead of choosing that Bridge...It’s more than Important guys....Thank you

Five Acres is about to lose it's leisure centre, forest theatre and playing fields. There is a local nursery school also situated on the site. If the site was passed to Forest of Dean district council and West Dean parish council, they could then seek the necessary funding and partners to develop a new facility- which will increase both prosperity and social capital to the area. Thousands of children have learned to swim in the centre’s pool, the local primary schools still use the facility for children's swimming lessons, both the Berry Hill Rugby Club and Broadwell Youth Football Club use the playing fields for games and training, the Forest of Dean Athletics Club is based on the site. Not to mention the various other sport and leisure clubs that use the facilities on a weekly basis. Without a leisure centre on their doorstep, many people will be forced to travel miles just to keep fit, local children risk losing their right to school swimming lessons as part of the national curriculum, and hundreds of children will have lost the opportunity to play both rugby and football for the local youth teams. Will you sign the petition before the decision about Five Acres leisure centre’s future slips out of our hands?

There is undue suffering and disability caused by preventing patients to medicinal cannabis. In light of accumulating scientific evidence that medicinal cannabis is not only alleviating pain and suffering but can also treat severe medical conditions, like severe epilepsy, it amounts to medical negligence to forbid access to treatment. Furthermore, it violates one's human rights to accessing life saving medication. The UK is a progressive country and needs to change the law to account for the scientific evidence available.

A recent accident involving a school girl being knocked down and seriously injured has highlighted further local people’s views about the safety of the main road. Several school buses drop off in the area and the area is filled with residential housing and a primary school. The speed limit of 40mph is unacceptable and needs reducing to 30mph. Traffic calming measures need to be introduced.

The Ely Valley is a very important SSSI serving the Vale and Cardiff. There is a wealth of protected plants, animals and birds here. There are many ancient woodlands on the route of the proposed new road. All of these could be lost for ever if the road is approved. It is crucial that our Council works with adjoining councils to reduce traffic travelling around the Vale and Cardiff. There is already a parallel road serving this route just two miles away which should be improved to resolve traffic issues. We can’t just keep building roads at the expense of our green fields. 72,000 cars drive in to Cardiff daily and a new road will attract even more cars to this area, creating even more congestion where the new road joins the M4 and A48. We believe that sustainable alternatives should be sought to reduce car dependency. The levels of air pollution in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are now causing more deaths than alcohol or obesity with a rising figure of over 225 deaths a year. Please join us in valuing our countryside and all that it offers for future generations.

Be Free Young Carers has for many years offered a desperately needed service for the hundreds of Young Carers in our community. A study in 2017 estimated there were over 700,000 young carers across the UK, providing 1 to 1 care for sick family members, mostly unpaid and unsupported. Be Free Young Carers has offered a support and guidance service for the hundreds of carers in Didcot and South Oxfordshire for many years, offering mentoring, much needed respite, learning support and guidance. There are currently over 500 young carers this charity supports in our county alone ! My own daughter Courtney Hughes BCAv was a registered young carer for me after I had a stroke. Be Free Young Carers offered her a shoulder to cry on, guidance and support whilst undertaking her exams and many day trips out, to allow her to have some time for her. Sadly due to the increase in young carers and a decline in funding with great sadness they have announced they simply cannot continue to run, due to huge drop in donations. The charity relies on donations alone and is not funded by the Government or local authorities. PLEASE SIGN AND MAKE SOME NOISE TO KEEP THIS VITAL CHARITY GOING.... Please write to your MP, Councillors, local parties anyone with any stature to keep the charity going... Thank you

More families in the UK have been reaching out to food banks for sanitary products, as they just can’t afford the ‘luxury’ of buying them. Sanitary towels and tampons aren’t cheap, but they are an essential part of a women’s life. This has resulted in women and girls using toilet paper, old socks, pieces of cloth, newspaper, and other unhygienic items and this could cause serious threats to their health. Without the sufficient and proper protection, which every girl and women deserves, girls have been routinely missing school. Shocking statistics from planUK.org said ‘49 per cent of girls have missed an entire day of school because of their period, of which 59 per cent have made up a lie or an alternate excuse’. A girl’s, and every young persons, education is such a vital and important part of their lives, they should not have to compromise this because of their periods. Blackburn is a deprived area, and looking at the demographics, and the statistics from plan UK, Blackburn could be at a higher risk than the statistic already shown.

I need an epidural injection twice a year , with this simple injection in my spine I live a normal life, without it I am in agony and cannot walk. Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) who decide what treatments, drugs and operations Worcestershire NHS may provide have under the pretense of ineffectiveness stopped the funding of these injections since December 2017. NHS England believe by not giving these injections they can save £9 million a year. Source:- Musculoskeletal Surgery and Therapeutic Interventions December 2017 Worcestershire CCGs http://www.ukssb.com/improving-spinal-care-project Instead of giving an injection at an average cost of £250 - £500 the NHS prefer to keep people disabled and in pain living on expensive opiates such as Tramadol and Oramorph together with Gabapentin and Amitriptyline and other drugs This callous lack of treatment is endured everyday not only by me but by thousands of people in the UK as other NHS Trusts stop these injections The spinal injections are not unproven procedures but have a 60 year excellent track record. We are being deprived of a treatment by the NHS in its efforts to save money at any cost. These so called "ineffective" spinal injections are readily available at all private hospitals in the UK where they are deemed to be an extremely effective treatment against back pain. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has been in Special Measures since December 2015 The trust is currently rated as Inadequate Overall and are not delivering neccesary treatments in desperation to save money. Patients are suffering uneccesarily due to the withdrawal of these injections. Without these neccesary injections people like me will be disabled, unable to walk and in terrible pain. Please sign this petition to stop this callous refusal of treatment, disregard of our basic right to treatment and pain relief.